by Eric Prisbell, USA TODAY Sports

by Eric Prisbell, USA TODAY Sports

AUSTIN, Texas -- The perceptions hung over this undefeated West Virginia team as it entered Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium for its first-ever Big 12 road game.

The Mountaineers possessed a one-dimensional offense. Its porous defense was skilled at little more than keeping opponents in the game. And they had played no one of national consequence.

But by the time coach Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia's offensive mad scientist, left the stadium late Saturday night, those perceptions had taken a serious hit with No. 7 West Virginia's 48-45 victory over No. 9 Texas. His running game thrived, the defensive proved opportunistic and a previously untested team sent most of the largest crowd ever to watch a game here home unhappy.

The Mountaineers looked like the team to beat in the Big 12, and their remaining league opponents will have to contend with more than a Heisman Trophy hopeful at quarterback and two dynamic receivers.

Sure, Geno Smith threw four touchdown passes and avoided throwing his first interception of the season. But Texas sacked him four times and forced him into two fumbles. As Holgorsen had expected, he would need to rely on his running game, and it shined. Sophomore Andrew Buie, who had never before rushed for 100 yards, amassed 207 rushing yards on 31 carries.

Holgorsen said that he was only surprised by the number of carries, not the production. Respecting the Texas pass rush, Holgorsen felt that had Smith just dropped back and passed all night, the Longhorns would have gotten "12 sacks, maybe 20, because they are really good at it."

Instead, many times West Virginia simply lined up and ran right at Texas. There were no tricks, Holgorsen said.

Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro said he was surprised by West Virginia's success on the ground, adding, "That wasn't their strength. The run game basically saved them. It made them two-dimensional."

Added Texas defensive coordinator Manny Diaz: "We turned them into a running football team. We got what we wanted. So many runs out there that we will be unhappy with."

West Virginia offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said the most impressive part was the last drive because Texas knew the run was coming and Buie was still able to gain yards.

"Everyone knows who Stedman (Bailey) and Tavon (Austin) are by now, right?" Dawson said. "When teams take that away it is going to be a little bit of a grind because we have to chip away and chip away and run the ball."

West Virginia's defense continues to be a work in progress, but there was progress against a team that came in averaging more than 47 points a game. The game appeared on the line when Texas recovered Smith's second fumble at the West Virginia 12 yard line with 7:37 to play and the Mountaineers clinging to a three-point lead.

But the Mountaineers stuffed the Longhorns on consecutive running plays. Then Texas had a botched snap and it had to settle for a 41-yard field goal attempt, which sailed wide right.

"It was the difference in the game," Holgorsen said of the defense's play on that series.

Though the Texas defense had been mostly mediocre early this season, this was a significant test for West Virginia, whose only game away from Morgantown had been against James Madison at FedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C.

This was a more unfriendly atmosphere. And Texas coach Mack Brown said this was the loudest he can remember hearing his home crowd.

As the popular stadium song "Jump Around" resonated at the start of the fourth quarter, Texas players began bouncing up and down on the sideline. But so did the Mountaineers, almost relishing the road ambiance.

"Our guys are not going to be intimidated by 100,000 people," Holgorsen said.

The Mountaineers showed they have a team balanced enough to make a serious run at the league championship in their first season in the conference. With Kansas State and Oklahoma set to travel to Morgantown on Oct. 20 and Nov. 17, respectively, the road to the conference title goes through Milan Puskar Stadium.

"We were 4-0 and were labeled untested," Dawson said. "That was kind of the theme of the deal, you have not beaten anybody. That was everybody's opinion, so to go on the road and win. Hopefully we are tested."

Smith, who threw for 268 yards, left Texas as a strong Heisman Trophy hopeful. And the Mountaineers headed back to their home having shaken up those national perceptions about their program. "We don't care bout perception, right, Geno?" Dawson said to his quarterback after the game.